Jeremiah 13

1 Thus said Jehovah unto me, 'Go, and thou hast got for thee a girdle of linen, and hast placed it on thy loins, and into water thou dost not cause it to enter:'

Thus says the LORD to me, "Go, and buy yourself a linen belt, and put it on your waist, and do not put it in water."

2 and I get the girdle, according to the word of Jehovah, and I place [it] on my loins.

So I bought a belt according to the word of the LORD, and put it on my waist.

3 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me a second time, saying,

The word of the LORD came to me the second time, saying,

4 'Take the girdle that thou hast got, that [is] on thy loins, and rise, go to Phrat, and hide it there in a hole of the rock;

"Take the belt that you have bought, which is on your waist, and arise, go to the Perath, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock."

5 and I go and hide it by Phrat, as Jehovah commanded me.

So I went, and hid it by the Perath, as the LORD commanded me.

6 And it cometh to pass, at the end of many days, that Jehovah saith unto me, 'Rise, go to Phrat, and take thence the girdle, that I commanded thee to hide there;'

It happened after many days, that the LORD said to me, "Arise, go to the Perath, and take the belt from there, which I commanded you to hide there."

7 and I go to Phrat, and dig, and take the girdle from the place where I had hid it; and lo, the girdle hath been marred, it is not profitable for anything.

Then I went to the Perath, and dug, and took the belt from the place where I had hidden it; and look, the belt was marred, it was profitable for nothing.

8 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, 'Thus said Jehovah:

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

9 Thus do I mar the excellency of Judah, And the great excellency of Jerusalem.

"Thus says the LORD, 'In this way I will mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.

10 This evil people, who refuse to hear My words, Who walk in the stubbornness of their heart, And go after other gods to serve them, And to bow themselves to them, Yea it is — as this girdle, that is not profitable for anything.

This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who walk in the stubbornness of their heart, and are gone after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this belt, which is profitable for nothing.

11 For, as the girdle cleaveth unto the loins of a man, So I caused to cleave unto Me The whole house of Israel, And the whole house of Judah, an affirmation of Jehovah, To be to Me for a people, and for a name, And for praise, and for beauty, And they have not hearkened.

For as the belt clings to the waist of a man, so have I caused to cling to me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah,' says the LORD; 'that they might be my people, for a name, for praise, and for glory. But they would not listen.

12 And thou hast said unto them this word, Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, 'Every bottle is full of wine,' And they have said unto thee: 'Do we not certainly know that every bottle is full of wine?'

Therefore you shall speak to them this word: 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, "Every jar shall be filled with wine."' And if they shall say to you, 'Do we not certainly know that every jar shall be filled with wine?'

13 And thou hast said unto them, 'Thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am filling all the inhabitants of this land, And the kings who sit for David on his throne, And the priests, and the prophets, And all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, [With] drunkenness,

Then you shall tell them, 'Thus says the LORD, "Look, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings who sit on David's throne, and the cohanim, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.

14 And have dashed them one against another, And the fathers and the sons together, An affirmation of Jehovah, I do not pity, nor spare, nor have I mercy, So as not to destroy them.

I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, says the LORD. I will not pity, nor spare, nor have compassion, that I should not destroy them."'"

15 Hear, and give ear — be not haughty, For Jehovah hath spoken.

"Hear, and give ear; do not be proud; for the LORD has spoken.

16 Give ye to Jehovah your God honour, Before He doth cause darkness, And before your feet stumble on dark mountains, And ye have waited for light, And He hath made it for death-shade, And hath appointed [it] for thick darkness.

Give glory to the LORD your God, before he causes darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and, while you look for light, he turns it into the shadow of death, and makes it gross darkness.

17 And if ye do not hear it, In secret places doth my soul weep, because of pride, Yea, it weepeth sore, And the tear cometh down mine eyes, For the flock of Jehovah hath been taken captive.

But if you will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret for your pride; and my eye shall weep bitterly, and run down with tears, because the LORD's flock is taken captive."

18 Say to the king and to the mistress: Make yourselves low — sit still, For come down have your principalities, The crown of your beauty.

"Say to the king and to the queen mother, 'Take a lowly seat, for your glorious crowns have come down from your heads.

19 The cities of the south have been shut up, And there is none opening, Judah hath been removed — all of her, She hath been removed completely —

The cities toward the Negev are shut, and there is no one to open them: Judah is carried away into exile, all of it; it is wholly carried away into exile.'"

20 Lift up your eyes, and see those coming in from the north, Where [is] the drove given to thee, thy beautiful flock?

"Lift up your eyes, and see those who come from the north: where is the flock that was given you, your beautiful flock?

21 What dost thou say, when He looketh after thee? And thou — thou hast taught them [to be] over thee — leaders for head? Do not pangs seize thee as a travailing woman?

What will you say, when he shall set over you as head those whom you have yourself taught to be friends to you? Shall not sorrows take hold of you, as of a woman in travail?

22 And when thou dost say in thy heart, 'Wherefore have these met me?' For the abundance of thine iniquity Have thy skirts been uncovered, Have thy heels suffered violence.

If you say in your heart, 'Why are these things come on me?' for the greatness of your iniquity are your skirts uncovered, and your heels suffer violence.

23 Doth a Cushite change his skin? and a leopard his spots? Ye also are able to do good, who are accustomed to do evil.

Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may you also do good, who are accustomed to do evil.

24 And I scatter them as stubble, Passing away, by a wind of the wilderness.

'therefore I will scatter them, as the stubble that passes away, by the wind of the wilderness.

25 This [is] thy lot, the portion of thy measures from Me — an affirmation of Jehovah, Because thou hast forgotten me, And dost trust in falsehood.

This is your lot, the portion measured to you from me,' says the LORD; 'because you have forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.

26 I also have made bare thy skirts before thy face, And thy shame hath been seen.

therefore I will also uncover your skirts on your face, and your shame shall appear.

27 Thine adulteries, and thy neighings, The wickedness of thy whoredom, on heights in a field, I have seen thine abominations. Woe to thee, O Jerusalem, Thou art not cleansed, after when [is it] again?

I have seen your abominations, even your adulteries, and your neighing, the lewdness of your prostitution, on the hills in the field. Woe to you, Jerusalem. You will not be made clean; how long shall it yet be?'"